“If
people are good only because they fear punishment, and hope for reward, then we
are a sorry lot indeed.” – Albert Einstein

Rewards
Systems

Throughout
my experiences in a variety of classrooms, I have witnessed some fantastic
rewards systems. Not every one will work with every class, which is why I like
to have a repertoire to choose from.

Surprise Box:

At the start of the year, have parents send in small toys the students will like for the surprise box. Whenever a student goes above and beyond his/her duties in the classroom or has a particularly good day, reward them with a surprise of their choice from the box.

Points System:

Using a bingo marker, students receive points for being respectful, completing tasks on time, being quiet in the library, etc. This is a team reward system, and works especially well if students sit in groups. At the end of the month, points are tallied up and the team with the most points gets to choose individual rewards (free Smart Board time, play a game at the end of the day, etc.).

Clothespin System:

Each student’s chair has a lanyard with a nametag at the end ties to their chair. Whenever they do something extraordinary, a clothespin is added to their lanyard. After 2 weeks, the student with the most clothespins gets a reward.

Golden Time:

Print out letters that spell “golden time” on white paper. Cut the paper around each letter to make a square. Have the papers laminated. Sticky-tack them facing backward to a blank wall. Whenever the class as a whole behaves extremely well, flip over a letter. Once all letters have been flipped (this takes a while), the class receives a reward as a group to have free time and play games for half an hour.